Students block Nilkhet for second consecutive day

Long lines of vehicles and rickshaws near Nilkhet intersection in the capital yesterday afternoon. Commuters suffered for hours in traffic as the road was blocked by students of seven colleges affiliated with Dhaka University. Photo: Amran Hossain

DU Correspondent

Commuters suffered hours of traffic congestion yesterday as students of seven colleges affiliated with Dhaka University blocked the Nilkhet intersection for the second consecutive day, demanding explanation of mass failures in examinations and re-evaluation of answer scripts.

As per their previous announcement, about 500 students gathered at the busy intersection around 11am and formed a large circle on the road.

The agitating students roped off the intersection and barred every vehicle and even pedestrians from crossing.

Traffic movement in the adjacent roads remained halted for about four hours due to the blockade.

Vehicles were stranded in long tailbacks and many people, including Higher Secondary Certificate examinees, were seen walking to their destinations.

Rishad Hasan, an HSC examinee who appeared for his exam at Dhanmondi Govt Boys High School, said, “I had to walk for nearly an hour to reach my residence at Azimpur as no buses were operating through that route.”

Upon receiving information, DU Proctor AKM Golam Rabbani went up to the students around 1:30pm and urged them to withdraw, assuring that their demands will be met.

The proctor said complications like session jams and timely publication of results arose while affiliating National University students to Dhaka University, which the authorities are trying to solve.

While reading out a written statement, Prof Rabbani said decisions have been made to publish their results within 90 working days of examinations. Results of particular subjects, in which most students failed, will be re-evaluated following applications from the students, he added.

But the protesters paid no heed to the assurance and remained in Nilkhet, adamant on their demands.

However, the students left the streets at around 2:30pm as they earlier declared that they would block the roads from 10am to 2pm.

One of the coordinators of the movement, Shaheen Hosen, told The Daily Star that a delegation went to DU VC’s office yesterday afternoon.

He added the protesters will hold a press conference at Dhaka College canteen today at 10am to declare their next course of action.